REAL

Surfers + backpackers + amazing espresso + beautiful sunsets + chilled out atmosphere + miles of beaches = An Amazing Hostel in Arica!

Wow. I feel lucky to have landed such an amazing REAL Hostel Work exchange here in Arica, Chile. The Hostel  a great place to work.  The owner Kurt and his wife Nicole are extremely kind and treat you like family from day one.  The facilities here are top-notch as well.  Don’t let the outside fool you; inside is spotless, the people are happy and there’s an overall since of “chill”… it’s amazing!

 

Hostel Description

 

• 8 rooms
• 1 large dorm room with 12 beds (very spacious though… see the picture)
• surprisingly fast WiFi
• Café with espresso, lattes, baked goods, and a great breakfast with a choice of scrambled eggs or cereal with yogurt plus toast, fresh juice, and choice of coffee… amazing.
• fully stocked kitchen
• laundry
• two big screen TVs with cable, DVDs and plenty of couch space
• ping-pong, surfboards, body boards, bikes, games… plenty to keep you occupied

Job Description

• There are two shifts, 8am-3pm and 3pm-10pm
• The morning shift consists of making coffee and serving breakfast to the hostel guests and outside patrons and working at the reception desk.
• The afternoon shift is a bit more low key: café and reception desk.
• You should be knowledgeable about what to do around Arica and able to answer questions related to travel.
• Spanish is necessary… or at least memorizing the essentials related to cafés and checking people in and out of rooms.

Tips on Traveling to Arica

It’s a long bus ride from Santiago. If you’re like me and not a huge fan of crowded, uncomfortable buses without food, consider flying or stopping along the way to break up the trip.  The Chilean buses are a step down (in both quality and price) compared to Argentina, so keep this in mind.  Also, do your best to book in advance if traveling during the high season (Jan-Mar) as buses are often sold out.  I was lucky to grab the last seat for three days traveling from La Serena to Arica, but it was a semi-cama.  No bueno.

I was determined to accomplish two main objectives while in Argentina: to see my favorite animal and witness the creation of my favorite wine.  With a visit to the largest penguin colony outside of Antarctica under my belt, I headed to Mendoza to tour malbec producing wineries.

 

Traveling from Puerto Madryn to Mendoza: The bus terminal in Puerto Madryn is fairly small, so the availability of seats to Mendoza was quite limited.  I would highly recommend booking ahead of time.  The bus company Andesmar is your best bet and from my experience, the best way to reserve a seat is to book directly from the ticket window.

Bienvenido a Mendoza

Depending on where you’re coming from and the quality of your bus ride, you may or may not be underwhelmed when you first arrive at Mendoza’s bus terminal and begin to navigate your way along the city’s streets.  Just be patient.  Mendoza is divine.  Once you wander in the correct direction towards the city center, you’ll find beautiful streets lined with huge trees and stone irrigation canals, wineries on practically every corner, and a variety of restaurants that would keep any foodie entertained.

 

Sleeping:  I stayed at Lao Hostel-- an amazing hostel where reservations are highly recommended, (the swimming pool, lush-green-hammock-lined lounging area, supremely clean kitchen, and very helpful staff explain why) but I was lucky enough to catch a cancellation upon my arrival and then spent my second night sleeping on the cozy mattress on the roof.  I also hear there are plenty of other superb options, as well as some not-so-superb, so be sure to do your research or allow for some extra exploration time.

What to do/see: Who visits Mendoza without taking a wine tour?  I found that there are many tour options throughout the suburbs surrounding the city for you to choose from, but I recommend going to Chacras de Coria and renting a bike from Baccus. A 40 minute bus ride for $1.80 will take you there and it is absolutely wonderful. Call first or ask the desk at Hostel Lao (if you stay there).  Baccus will plan your route for you depending on how much time you want to spend exploring.  No matter how many wineries you decide to visit, be sure to stop by the chocolataria to sample 40+ different types of homemade goodness from specialty liquors to pickled fruits to raspberry jam to hazlenut and dulce de leche spread.

I know, another how to, but this is serious business people!  Each day I wake up and think to myself, what am I going to do to day…? Actually, it´s more like which beach should I go to today? Santa Marta is surrounded by beaches, and it´s all about finding the right one for you. The one that fits your style, your needs, and most importantly your comfortability.
First, my favorite, Bahia Concha. A gorgeous bay, 20 minutes outside of Santa Marta. Beautiful water surrounded by beautiful hills and sand. If you´re hungry they will make you the fish of your desires, rather what they caught that morning, but you get to pick. Because it´s a bay makes it great for swimming without the worry that the next wave is going to be 10 feet tall and take you under. Last, but not least, it´s not over crowded. You walk far enough down the beach and you can find your own little hideaway. Of course there are few vendors that will find you selling beer, sweets, and other interesting delights.
My second favorite is a tie, Los Angeles Beach and Costeño Beach. They are 10 minutes from each other, so they are very similar beach wise. This is where the waves are rippin´ and the surfers are a plenty. Beautiful beach! It goes on forever! At Los Angeles they´ve started a little business with a restaurant and hammocks if you want to stay the night. Costeño is a hostel as well with little cabañas, hammocks, and a camping area. Both run by awesome people, both so much fun!!!
I am more likely to frequent the beaches of Taganga or Rodadero, however, because they are the cheapest to get to. They are two surrounding towns that are just a bus ride away for $1200 pesos. Taganga has 3 different beaches to choose from, depending on the day, depending on if you want to people watch or not. Amazing for snorkeling. You can rent the gear for $5000 pesos for half the day. Lot´s of beautiful coral, and fishes. Rodadero is very commercial, but still beautiful. Walk down the beach a little further for more of a relaxing time.
Parque Tayrona. We have yet to be there. We are waiting until our gig at the hostel is done, because then we think the high season will be dying down a little bit. Apparently there is around 50 beaches with crystal clear water, and white sand that surround this park. We can´t wait to check it out!!!
Of course Santa Marta has the central market, where you can haggle for a bottle of rum, or a new watch. The market lasts for blocks and on a hot day it can feel like miles. But, my favorite part is still the beaches. Coming from Minnesota, this is the first time I have been hot in February. So, I´m gonna use this time as best as possible, just soaking up the sun!

Puerto Madryn: Penguins, Sea Lions, and Whales, OH MY!

During the week of transition between my REAL Hostel Work Job placements, I decided to visit Puerto Madryn for the impressive penguin colonies found two hours north and south of the port city.  This post will share some of the highlights of my trip and fill you in on some of the tips I wish I would have been given.

The city of Puerto Madryn itself is not much to write home about, but it serves as a great hub to explore Argentina’s marine wildlife.  It is an 18-20 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires (12 hour journey from El Bolson for me) so it’s a great option as a stopover on your way to southern Patagonia, or can fulfill your desire to see the ocean’s most spectacular animals without having to travel to the far southern part of the country.  Click here for a schedule of when to see the wildlife.

Sleeping: 

I stayed at a great little hostel called Hi! Patagonia Hostel.  Reservations are suggested, although I just walked in once my bus arrived at 8am and was greeted by the super friendly, and somewhat eccentric host, Gaston who graciously provided me with a cup of coffee and allowed me to hang out on the comfy couch, take a shower, and chill in the hammock as I waited for my room.

What I wish I would have known beforehand: Although Gaston is very friendly and super kind, he can also be misleading at times.  We were all given different and very elaborate stories about why the internet was not working at the time– all which turned out to not be true.  His little fibs were harmless, but they did become quite annoying.

Eating:

• The hostel provided delicious bar-b-que’s for AR$50 which were well worth the price.
• We ate at a delicious Mexican Restaurant on the corner of Gales and 25 de Mayo which I highly recommend.
• What I wish I would have known beforehand: I made the mistake of ordering a shrimp salad at Vernadino Club de Mar which was waaaay overpriced and had a horrible flavor.  I managed to get it down because it was so expensive, but I left very unpleased.  Plus they charged me for utensils and the bread which I never asked for.  Its location was the only highlight: right on the beach.

Sights:

• Punto Tombo: A MUST SEE!!! As an intense lover of penguins, this was the best part of my trip thus far.  There was a well done museum, great lamb emanadas, and more penguins than you could ever hope to see!  Enjoy the pictures and use the links to find out more.  BE SURE TO CHECK THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN PENGUINS WILL BE THERE.
• Very informative article from Smithsonian Magazine
• Direct Link to Punto Tombo

 

As you may know, REAL Hostel Work does an excellent job of matching people who want to work and travel in South America to places (hostels) that  need workers.  I was fortunate to have a unique REAL Hostel Work experience.  Instead of working in a traditional hostel, I had the opportunity to work in two different refugios around Bariloche and learn about the eco-tourism business within the Lake District of Argentina.  I learned a lot and would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is a nature lover, is interested in the flora and fauna of unique ecosystems, and who enjoys simple living.

What is a refugio, you ask?

It is essentially a mountain hut that serves as a refuge for mountain climbers.  Each refugio is a bit different but you can count on finding a tasty meal, a matress,a warm stove,  and a way to heat water to share a mate with your friends. (I’m referring to yerba mate, of course.  If you’re planning on visiting Argentina, you must know about the mate tradition.)  REAL Hostel Work connected me with the eco-tourism company,  which is linked to a variety of other outdoor adventure companies in the Bariloche area.  My job was to familiarize myself with the popular destinations surrounding Bariloche, the different refugios, and encourage other tourists to utilize the services offered by the company.

Refugio #1: Neumayer

Located in the unique ecosystems of Valle del Challhuaco and  its surrounding mountains, Refugio Neumayer is the perfect place for anyone wanting to escape the distractions of civilization.  Free from internet, television, and phone service, you are truly able to immerse yourself in nature.   There are numerous hiking trails of varying difficulty surrounding the refugio.

Valle del Challhuaco: Full of the beautiful amancay flowers, the area surrounding the refugio is boasting with bright yellow during January.  You can read more about this area here.

My favorite part was the Caranchas (Carycary)– hawk-like birds that eat out of your hand!  The family running the refugio have socialized a family of these birds to come right up to you.  It’s incredible!

Transportation: because a car is necessary to visit the refugio, not many people spend the night here.  For me, the lack of public transportation presented a problem; however the  manager, Adan, is very willing to give you a ride into town if needed.

Sleeping: The sleeping arrangements are very rustic.  You should bring your own sleeping bag and there are a variety of matresses (a whole stack) that you can choose from.  As aesthetics are very important to me, I was a little bothered by the lack of visual appeal to the sleeping area.  For those of you who realize that your eyes are closed when you’re sleeping, sleeping in the attic shouldn’t be a problem.  The aesthetic appeal of the outdoors makes up for what’s lacking on the inside!

Refugio #2: Italia at Leguna Negra

Have you heard of “heaven on earth”?  Well I found mine in the mountains surrounding Bariloche.  You’ll find the trailhead to Leguna Negra just outside the quaint little town of Colonia Suiza (video coming soon!)

The hike is quite the challenge, but worth every step.  After two hours of hiking alongside a beautiful Arollo (stream) you’ll reach a magnificent waterfall that you must stop and admire.  There are rustic camping spaces if you’re in the mood for sleeping at the base of a waterfall.

And then the climb begins.  You’ll pretty much be hiking straight up for the next two hours so prepare yourself.  Once you reach the top, you’ll be greeted by a welcoming (and very attractive) staff of refugio workers (and hey! this could possibly be you!) and numerous other adventurous hikers who have just accomplished your same feat, or have arrived via one of the other refugios scattered among the Lake District.

Just the view is worth the effort.  Absolutely breathtaking.

Sleeping: It’s worth staying the night up here. The refugio has plenty of mattresses upstairs and even provides extra blankets.  However, I would recommend bringing your own sleeping bag.

Eating: You’re in for a real treat when dinner time rolls around.  Nestled in the back corner of the refugio, you’ll find the quaintest little kitchen that is surprisingly well stocked.  Just thinking of how many trips it takes to keep the kitchen stocked will blow your mind.  You can watch the good-looking refugio workers perform an impressive dance as they Tetris themselves around each other preparing pasta, pizza, popcorn, dulce de leche deliciousness, cracking open homemade beer (that’s been brewed up here, by the way), and pouring local wine.

I sure feel lucky to have had the opportunity to have been placed in this REAL Hostel Work position.  For those interested in working in Argentina’s rugged, backwoods landscape, this would be the perfect opportunity.  For those who would rather visit for a day or for the weekend, then Bariloche welcomes you all!

Home to one of Argentina’s most famous hotels, numerous hiking trails, and a diversity of flora and fauna, Llao Llau is a must see while in Bariloche.  For us backpackers, Bariloche luckily has a wonderful public transit system, named 3 de Mayo, that provides easy access to many of the Lake District’s most famous destinations.  After a bit of studying the map (you can pick one up at the tourist info booth located in the center of the city) I realized I needed to hop on bus number 20 and navigated my way to one of the stops in the center of Bariloche.  A word of warning: you must buy a ticket before boarding the bus.  With only one exception, none of the 3 de Mayo busses accept cash on board.  You can purchase one ticket at a time at many of the Kioscos located around town, or, if you know you’ll be using the bus often, you can purchase a refillable card that you scan each time.  I suggest the later.  The one exception is the bus to the ski resort Catedral which costs AR$8 and you can pay this when you board.  The bus driver would greatly appreciate small bills.

 

The bus ride to Llao Llao travels along the lakeshore of Nahuel Huapi passing numerous hotels, adventure sport outfitters, stores and restaurants catering to the tourists, and also provides some of the most stunning views I’ve seen thus far in this diverse country.   The bus can become pretty crowded, so be prepared to stand and for those of you with personal-space issues, welcome to South America and learn to get over it.  The ride takes about 40 minutes, depending on how many stops are made.

If you want to check out the grounds of the Llao Llao hotel, I’ve heard it’s worth the time.  You can ride the bus up the hill to the hotel, or you can do as I did and get off at the stop nearest to the port (boats depart from here heading to Chile and some resort-type islands).  There’s no clear marking about how to find the entrance to the national park, but with only four choices of what direction to head–left towards hotel, right towards the port, behind takes you back the way you came, and, well straight ahead– I chose to head straight on what’s called Circuito Chico.  It is a short walk to the park entrance. You will pass through a well-kept golf course and there is plenty of space along the road so that you’re a safe distance from oncoming traffic.  I would definitely say its bike friendly because numerous passed me while I was walking.

If you’re up for a nice stroll through the woods, you will soon come to the entrance to the Arrayans Forest.  A photo is worth a thousand words, so I’ll let them do the talking:

 

 

A short (but fairly steep) trail to a beach veers off to the left and is totally worth checking out.

 

After about an hour of hiking, you will find yourself back at the main road. I really wanted to see the Playa Tacul because I heard it was very popular, so I headed to the right until I came to another trail.  You can hear the woodpeckers busy at work as you walk through this forest .  You’ll come to a beautiful meadow where you can see mountains on every side.

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to check out Mirador Tacul, and it was worth it.

 

 

I then back-tracked a little way, took the first path that veered off to the left, and navigated my way down to the playa.

The walk back to the bus stop is a dusty one, but I was lucky enough to catch a ride with a very nice family from Buenos Aires.  Hitchhiking is common along Circuito Chico, but don’t be disappointed if many cars pass you by.

I have also put together a nice little music video for you to enjoy the scenery.  Follow this link to view it.  But of course, it’s always much better in person.  I hope all you backpackers choose Bariloche  as a destination.  You’ve got to see this!

 

We´ll start this blog in Ipales, where I crossed the border into Colombia. In true South American fashion what I thought would take a thirty minutes or so turned out to be a nearly six hour adventure. A word of advice- trying to cross a border during a Colombian festival  might not always be the greatest of ideas. I eventually made it through the line and received my Ecuador exit stamp. For what should have seemed like a lifetime, actually turned out to be a pretty good night. I spent my last Ecuador evening listening to two Colombian men ahead of me playing flutes and drums while drinking my first tinto (the small cups of sugary coffee available everywhere here in Colombia). From there I slowly made my way through Popayan and eventually to San Agustín where I decided to camp in the local campground for a few nights.

I spent my first day exploring the town´s central market and getting a taste of Colombian cuisine. I had a delicious tamale filled with rice and veggies all wrapped up in a corn husk, and of course… more tinto. San Agustín is a really neat little place nestled in a beautiful, lush green valley. The only real traffic here is horse drawn carriages taking anything from coffee beans to coca cola crates around the town.

After a peaceful night in my tent I was awakened by the campground´s famous alarm clock, a giant red rooster. From the campground I walked up the hill to San Agustín´s archeological park, famous for it´s stone statues, tombs, and ceremonial carvings dated back to 3,000 B.C. Most of these carved rocks depicting animals, humans, and sometimes mixtures of both were used to cover tombs of those who had died. The tour all ends on the top of a hill, overlooking the valley.

After another night at the campground I headed to the bus terminal and bought an overnight ticket to Bogotá. For not being a big city person, I instantly fell in love with Bogotá´s clean streets, beautiful city parks, and hip vibe. I spent my days walking around the city, taking in local music, and visiting the Museo Del Oro (Gold Museum) featuring some of the world´s very first gold, pottery, wood, and textile work. It took me almost four hours to see all of the gallery´s in this beautiful building and I really enjoyed them all.

I left Bogotá feeling like I could have easily spent months, maybe even years there and know I´ll be back sometime soon. I caught another overnight bus to Santa Marta and couldn´t have felt more relieved when I saw the Caribbean Sea. After almost 50 hours in a bus, I had made it to the northern coast of Colombia. I took the first day to settle in, visit the hostel, and walk around the neighborhood a bit. I currently live in what feels like the middle of paradise. Surrounded by amazing beaches, a National Park, and the Sierra Navada Mountains, Santa Marta really is a dreamy destination. The local beach offers great sea food, ice cream, and freshly squeezed juice from exotic fruits with names like ¨maracuya¨and ¨lulus¨ all from the convenience of your beach towel. Though the beach can get a bit crowded at times, it is a fun atmosphere and everyone seems to be so relaxed here. On my free days I have had the chance to explore nearby Tagana, Bahia Concha Beach, Los Angeles Beach, and the little village nestled high up in the mountains called Minca. So far Colombia is everything everyone told me it would be. The people are amazingly kind, the weather is absolutely perfect, and the coffee is delicious. I look forward to my next couple of months here and can´t wait to explore all that Santa Marta has to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a lover of mountains, I was super stoked when REAL Hostel Work offered me the opportunity to work in Bariloche, Argentina.  Nestled in the heart of the lake district and smack in the middle of Argentina's most beautiful national park, I was eager to see what I've heard described as the "Switzerland" of South America.

 

There are numerous options to travel to Bariloche (bus, plane, car, and even boat–from Chile).  I chose the bus and decided on the company, Via Bariloche, because it was recommended to me.  I also took the advice I heard numerous times and forked over the extra cash for a cama executivo. It is a 22 hour bus ride.  If you'd like more info about my bus experience, keep reading.  If not, then skip to Arrival in Bariloche.

 

Spending a day on a bus…

…isn't all that bad if you're well prepared.  First of all, I planned my trip so that I departed at 7pm, made sure to exhaust myself during the day, had plenty of water, and adequate reading material.  The only thing I wish I would have had remembered was a good pair of headphones so that I could actually hear what the five different movies sounded like.

 

Oh… how to buy the ticket, you ask?  I went to a great site called platforma10.com.ar.  It was super easy to navigate and allowed me to pay online and choose my own seat.  I would recommend bottom floor, front row.  Even though this is close to the bathrooms, you have plenty of room, are first to be served (did I mention they provided three meals?), and it's not a long trip to the bathroom.  I'm willing to bet you will have to use it.  It's basically a non-stop trip–for nearly a whole day.

 

Before and after dinner was served, I watched a bit of one of the movies that was playing and then, read myself to sleep, awoke annoyingly early, typed a bit on my laptop, took some photos of the beautiful sunrise, had breakfast, read some more, typed some more, watched part of another movie, had lunch, and then..  we were in Bariloche!  Not bad at all.

 

A quick note about the meals (this may be different for other bus companies): You will receive the following:

• A handy-dandy lap tray
  

  Handy-dandy lap tray

• A compartmentalized tray with everything you need to have cena (dinner).  I was under the impression we were having sliced ham, cesar salad, bread, crackers, dulce de leche, and some weird kind of custard for dinner, so I ate it all; except for some of the custard… I didn't realize the dulce de leche should be mixed into it to make it taste like something.  I was satisfied.

 

• Much to my surprise, a piping hot aluminum box was then placed on my tray which had mashed potatoes and the typical Argentine carne frita (fried beef).  Good thing I'm fond of eating dessert before dinner.  I played it off as so and tried my hardest to eat a bit of the main course.  If you're a picky eater or have special dietary needs, I would suggest bringing your own food.
• A choice of Coke, Sprite, water, or vino was offered with lunch and dinner with coffee/tea being offered after dinner and with breakfast.  The coffee tasted how I would imagine bus coffee to taste: heavy on the water side and light on the coffee.

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Arrival in Bariloche

I was a little nervous about what was going to go down when I arrived at the terminal because the last thing I was able to decipher from the most recent correspondence (in Spanish)  with Clemente, my supervisor for the next two months, was that I should call him when I arrive at the bus terminal.  Considering I had yet to make a phone call in Argentina, never mind the fact that I didn't have a phone, I was a little unsure about how to tackle this task, although I was guessing I could find a payphone (I was hoping they still exist in this country… they've disappeared in the U.S.) and figure out how to use it.

 

As I was gathering my mochila grande (huge backpack) I heard a funny word being repeated over and over by a tall and handsome older gentleman wandering through the crowd.  "Cuntey, Cunty".

 

"Hmmm…", I wonder.  "Could he mean, Courtney?"

 

So I ask him.

 

Turns out, I was right.  Whew.  Clemente was there waiting for me.  I'll learn about Argentine payphones another day.

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Getting Acquainted with Bariloche

My first few hours in the city consisted of a wonderful drive-thru tour of the town by Clemente and then a tour of my own, private departamento (apartment).  For the first week, I am staying in what used to be a very nice hostel called Arkos, and is now a very nice apartment complex.  The departamento isvery clean and has all the modern conveniences needed, other than a refrigerator.  I'll make do.  Clemente even provided kitchen utensils and linens!  Muy Bien!

My first groggy-eyed impression of Bariloche was just that… a bit foggy.  I had heard varying accounts of the state of the area due to the leftovers of the Chilean volcano erupting last year.  Day one provided me with what the naysayers had warned me of– a haziness that hinders the view of the beautiful surrounding mountains. However, everyday since has been delightfully clear and has shown me that this place is just as stunning as I had hoped.

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Getting Acquainted with my new REAL Hostel Work

As it turns out, my situation is a bit different than a typical REAL Hostel arrangement.  Instead of working in a hostel and performing typical hostel tasks, I will be traveling and working among three different refugios (mountain lodges) under the guidance and management of my host organization Diversidad Patagonia, a.k.a. Adventure Bariloche, a.k.a. Eco-Family.  I'm still not 100% sure what I'll be doing at each of the refugios, but from my understanding, I'll be greeting the guests, answering their questions, guiding them to the right place, and encouraging them to check out other opportunities for adventure in the area.  I will divide my time between the refugio at Laguna Negra, near Colonia Suiza and Refugio Neumeyer in the Valle del Chall Huaco, part of Nahuel Huapi National Park. 

 

I will provide more information about each of the places when I visit them.  Be sure to stay tuned!

 

During my first week, while I'm staying in my very own apartment, Clemente has instructed me to check out the local tourist attractions including Llao Llao (pronounced, "jou jou"), Cerro Catedral, and today, Colonia Suiza.  You can read about each of these places very soon.  I should have pictures and more info as soon as I can get everything together and uploaded.  For now, take care, follow your dreams, and come visit the wonderful Bariloche!  Chao!

 

Besos,

~Courtney

Traveling and working her way through Latin America